The straight and narrow

Levi BuchananSpecial to the Tribune

The chief concern of industry critics is that some of today's most popular games, such as the "Grand Theft Auto" series, provide violent escapism with no thought of consequence. Microsoft's "Fable" is all about consequences. This is a role-playing game centered on action and reaction, where gamers must make conscious decisions about their in-game behavior.

It's a great concept, even if it isn't executed as well as developer Lionhead (helmed by famed video game designer Peter Molyneaux) has repeatedly promised. You begin the game, which employs plenty of staple fantasy elements (murdered dad, stolen sister), with a blank slate. You are given free rein to decide your destiny. As you travel the countryside, will you help peasants and fellow travelers while seeking vengeance? Or will you turn your back on the proverbial "right thing" and terrorize the people with your selfishness and evil deeds? The game keeps a running tab on your behavior and adjusts the plot accordingly.

Not only will social choices affect the game's story line, which is not as varied and branching as hoped (for a truly open-ended Xbox RPG, check out Bethesda's "Morrowind"), but they also alter players' physical appearance. Righteous adventurers will see themselves portrayed as classic fair-haired warriors with strong features. Those who indulge their dark sides will witness grim transformations -- sunken eyes, ominous tattoos and even horns. Admittedly, evil characters just look cooler than goody-two-shoes. After all, hardcore RPG fans have probably already had their fill of pretty-boy heroes.

Aside from the main quest, there are hours of extra activities you can enjoy. Clotheshorses can collect a mighty stable of threads. The marrying kind can take a wife -- or wives, if you are so inclined. Time becomes a major factor in "Fable." You can keep an eye on your character's age, and if you refrain from extraneous magic use, you can keep Father Time (and wrinkles) at bay. Conversation also becomes a minor art in "Fable," as you have the option of flirting, cursing and joking with the world's citizens.

The main problem with "Fable" is that the basic story line is standard fantasy with little variation, unlike the current champion of the adventure/RPG category: Square-Enix's "Final Fantasy." Nintendo's famed "Zelda" franchise never scripts to the level of Square, but the series is so storied that every gamer brings his own history to the game. Perhaps a sequel to "Fable" could marry some distinctly original plot points to its exciting gameplay concepts.

"Fable" is an outrageously gorgeous game. Warrior models are exquisitely detailed, and backdrops are expansive and well-populated. Watching your character's personal changes is incredibly entertaining and gives you immediate physical evidence of the game's behavior-tracking. Lionhead commissioned composer Danny Elfman ("Spider-Man," "The Nightmare Before Christmas") to score the game's opening theme, which is deliciously soaring.

Unfortunately, Elfman's ample talents were not extended to the in-game music, which seems cookie-cutter in comparison.

Free will is one of the greatest innovations in video games, only possible on this latest generation of hardware. Opened-ended gameplay was really crystallized by Rockstar's "GTA" franchise, but your actions never really affected the game's scripted moments. "Fable's" introduction of fluid consequences wants to propel the concept to the next level. Now, if Lionhead can somehow combine this concept with a truly interactive story, one that morphs more as you make dire decisions, then "Fable" may just end up next to "Final Fantasy" and "Zelda" as one of the great RPG franchises.